A software program module may include a help feature for providing users with guidance in performing particular functions in the program. The instructions provided to the user via a help feature often include particular steps that need to be executed to perform a particular function. These instructions may include references to particular user interface terms of the program. User interface terms are words used to describe the user interfaces (i.e., the menus, tabs, toolbars, pictures, icons and other tools) that allow a user to interact with the program. Thus, the instructions of a help feature may make reference to these user interface terms so that a user will understand which user interfaces to use to perform a particular function. For example, the instructions may advise the user to select the “File” menu (where “File” is the user interface term).
Programs often include a user interface language that defines the language in which user interfaces will be displayed to the user. These programs may also allow the user interface language to be set for the user by a system administrator. In a corporate environment, the system administrator may set the user interface language to a single language throughout the corporation so that the same user interface is presented to users throughout the corporation. Sometimes, the user is not allowed to change the user interface language setting unless he has system administration access. The user may, however, change the help feature language to a language different than the user interface language. For example, a corporate user may change the help feature language to Spanish even if the user interface language is in a different language, such as English. The help feature language defines the language in which the help feature will be displayed. Typically, a user will change the help feature language to the language with which the user is most familiar.
A difference between the user interface language and the help feature language is confusing to the user because the user interface terms referred to in the help feature do not match the user interface terms displayed by the program module (because the two languages are different). For example, the help feature may refer to the user interface term “Archivo” (if the help feature language is Spanish) while the operating system may display the user interface term as “File” (if the user interface language is English). Thus, changing the help feature language to a familiar language may make the help feature easier to understand for the user but, it may also make it difficult to understand which user interfaces to use because the user interface terms are displayed in the help feature language rather than being displayed in the user interface language.
There is a need for a method and system for ensuring that the user interface terms of a help feature and the user interface terms displayed to the user by a program module are in the same language regardless of the help feature language.